Adaptive plant traits under anthropogenic burning regimes: A database for UK heath and mire plant species.

Premise: Humans have used fire to manage landscapes for millennia, but this use of fire is declining in many ecosystems. Understanding how plants respond to these changes is key to predicting ecosystem resilience and impacts on services such as biodiversity and carbon sequestration. However, many ecosystems lack data on plant fire responses.

The role of α-adrenergic mechanisms in sympathetic baroreflex control of human blood pressure.

This study tested the hypothesis that neural and vascular α-adrenergic mechanisms contribute to sympathetic baroreflex regulation of human blood pressure. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA; peroneal microneurography) was measured and sympathetic action potentials (APs) were extracted from the filtered MSNA neurogram (continuous wavelet transform) in eight participants (5 females; 28±7 years) during a baseline (BSL) condition and a dexmedetomidine infusion (DEX; α-adrenergic receptor agonist; 10 min loading dose at 0.225 μg/kg; maintenance dose: 0.

Multinational validation of distant metastasis velocity as a post-progression prognostic score in patients with oligometastatic cancer treated with metastasis-directed stereotactic body radiotherapy.

Background: Distant progression is the predominant failure pattern after metastasis-directed stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for oligometastatic disease, but prognostic tools to guide post-progression management are lacking. We aimed to validate the prognostic value of distant metastasis velocity (DMV) for overall survival (OS) and widespread failure-free survival (WFFS) after distant progression.

Methods: Two independent international cohorts of patients with extracranial oligometastatic disease (≤5 lesions) who developed distant progression after SBRT were analyzed.

Using Role Substitution to Improve Oral Health in Care Homes: A Process Evaluation.

Background: The oral health of many older adults residing in care homes is poor and service provision is limited. Role substitution has been suggested as a potential model to improve service provision in this context and describes the reallocation of tasks from a dentist to other members of the dental team.

Objectives: To undertake a theoretically informed process evaluation alongside a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial to determine whether the use of Dental Therapists and Dental Nurses could improve the oral health of dependent older adults in care homes in the UK.

The Political Determinants of Oral Health Inequalities: Lessons in Policy Development and Implementation From Six Case Studies.

Objectives: Oral diseases are the most prevalent diseases globally, affecting almost half of the world's population with a disproportionate burden on the most vulnerable groups. Despite growing attention on the social and commercial determinants of health, there is still a largely unexplored area in understanding the political determinants of health and oral health. The aim of this paper is to describe national policy development processes for policies impacting population oral health.

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and the Health of the Active Component: Understanding the Link Between the ACFT and Personnel Health and Injuries.

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) became the U.S. Army's physical fitness test of record in October 2022.

Impact of clinical target volume utilization on outcomes in patients with non-spine bone oligometastases treated with stereotactic ablative radiation therapy.

Purpose: To compare local failure, marginal failure, and toxicity in non-spine bone metastases (NSBMs) treated with versus without a CTV for stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

Methods: The study included all patients in British Columbia treated with SABR for NSBMs on the SABR-5 trial (November 2016 - July 2020) and on the BC Oligometastases Registry (August 2020- October 2022). NSBMs were stratified based on CTV use for treatment planning.

Adults with down syndrome exhibit altered somatosensory cortical inhibition.

Down syndrome (DS) is a developmental genetic disorder that is associated with an accelerated aging profile and high probability of early incidence Alzheimer's disease like symptoms. It is well established that there are morphological differences in the brains of adults with DS, but the net impact of the genetic disruption on cortical function remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain imaging to assess the somatosensory cortical activity elicited by a paired-pulse electrical stimulation of the right median nerve of adults with DS (N = 19; Age = 28.

Sex differences in sleep apnea and Alzheimer's Disease: role of cerebrovascular dysfunction.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) significantly impacts cardiovascular health in post-menopausal females. Given that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are tightly linked, OSA-mediated impacts on cerebrovascular function and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk are also likely more manifest in females. This review will: summarize sex differences in cerebrovascular function, review the vascular hypothesis of AD, characterize sex differences in the OSA phenotype and implications for cerebrovascular control, and highlight OSA-mediated AD risk.

Evaluating Toxicity and Interaction Outcomes of Systemic Therapy and Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy for Oligometastatic Disease: A Secondary Analysis of the Phase 2 SABR-5 Trial.

Purpose: Although stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) is known for low toxicity and safety, its combined use with specific systemic therapies requires further investigation. This study aims to evaluate the toxicity of SABR in combination with various systemic therapies.

Materials And Methods: A secondary analysis of the SABR-5 trial evaluated grade 2+ and 3+ toxicities post-SABR in patients who had received high-risk or non-high-risk systemic therapies before SABR at 4 predefined intervals: concurrent with SABR, 1 day to 1 week prior, 1 to 2 weeks prior, or 2 to 12 weeks prior.

A Real-World Evidence Study Evaluating Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life Following the Use of Anti-Sensitivity Toothpaste for Self-Reported Dentine Hypersensitivity Management.

Aims: To evaluate the impact of an anti-sensitivity toothpaste on the oral-health-related quality of life (OHrQoL) in a real-world (RW) setting.

Materials And Methods: This was a decentralised, prospective, 24-week, open-label study in participants with self-reported dentine hypersensitivity (DH). A total of 655 enrolled participants used a 5% potassium nitrate toothpaste per label instructions and completed the Dentine Hypersensitivity Experience Questionnaire (DHEQ) and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) monthly for 24 weeks and numerical scale for satisfaction of self-management of DH at 24 weeks.

Inequalities in Access to Specialist Allergy Services in the United Kingdom: A Report From the BSACI Registry for Immunotherapy (BRIT).

Background: There is an unmet need for specialist allergy treatment in the United Kingdom. Allergen immunotherapy and treatment with omalizumab for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are key markers for these services. The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) Registry for Immunotherapy (BRIT) is a national project to record the real-world effectiveness, safety and access to treatment for aero-allergen, venom and peanut immunotherapy as well as omalizumab for CSU.

Dentists' perspectives on selective caries removal for the management of deep carious lesions in permanent teeth.

Background: To explore the views of dentists participating in the Selective Caries Removal in Permanent Teeth (SCRiPT) randomised controlled clinical trial on selective caries removal versus complete or near complete caries removal for the management of deep carious lesions.

Methods: Nineteen semi-structured one-to-one telephone or online video interviews were conducted with dentists involved in SCRiPT, using an interview guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Data were initially analysed deductively using a framework informed by the TDF, and subsequently using reflexive thematic analysis.

Acute exogenous oestradiol augments endothelial and smooth muscle vasodilatory responsiveness in premenopausal but not postmenopausal females.

Menopause is associated with vascular dysfunction. During the menopausal transition, endogenous oestradiol concentrations diminish. Oestradiol is vasoprotective because it has direct and indirect effects on the vasculature.

The Impact of Ultracentral Tumor Location on Outcomes in Patients with Pulmonary Oligometastases: A Secondary Analysis of the Single-Arm Phase 2 SABR-5 Trial.

Purpose/objectives: There are limited data on outcomes in patients with ultracentral pulmonary oligometastases treated with SABR. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ultracentral location was prognostic for toxicity and survival.

Material And Methods: Oligometastatic lung lesions treated on the single-arm phase 2 SABR-5 trial were retrospectively stratified into 2 cohorts: ultracentral tumors (UC), defined as planning target volume overlap or direct tumor abutment to the proximal bronchial tree, esophagus, great vessels, or heart, and nonultracentral tumors.

Your Teeth, You Are in Control: A Process Evaluation of the Implementation of a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Intervention for Reducing Child Dental Anxiety.

Aim: To explore the views of patients, caregivers, and dental professionals on the factors that influence implementation, processes, and effectiveness of a guided self-help cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention, 'Your teeth, you are in control' (YTYAIC), in the CALM trial.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted as part of this qualitative component of the process evaluation, and data were analysed using a framework approach based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Five Areas Model of CBT.

Results: Thirty-seven participants were recruited.

Micronutrient dose response (MiNDR) study among women of reproductive age and pregnant women in rural Bangladesh: study protocol for double-blind, randomised, controlled trials.

Introduction: Optimising the micronutrient status of women before and during reproduction confers benefits to them and their offspring. Antenatal multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS), given as a daily tablet with nutrients at ~1 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) reduces adverse birth outcomes. However, at this dosage, MMS may not fully address micronutrient deficiencies in settings with chronically inadequate diets and infection.

Facilitating oral healthcare for children with disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a qualitative exploration of the perceptions of parents and professionals.

Background: Children with disabilities worldwide experience disparities in oral health. Parents and children encounter challenges in accessing quality dental care. Similar challenges are experienced in Saudi Arabia.

Reimagining the Army Medical Corps: Five Ideas for Raising Recruitment, Restoring Retention, and Restructuring Requirements.

The Army Medical Corps comprises the physicians of the U.S. Army.

An 'explosion in the mouth': The oral health experiences of autistic children.

In England, a quarter of 5-year-olds have tooth decay. For families with autistic children, establishing optimal habits (toothbrushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, limiting sugar intake and regular dental visits) can be difficult. Oral health experiences from the perspective of autistic children remains unexplored.

3D printed optimized electrodes for electrochemical flow reactors.

Recent advances in 3D printing have enabled the manufacture of porous electrodes which cannot be machined using traditional methods. With micron-scale precision, the pore structure of an electrode can now be designed for optimal energy efficiency, and a 3D printed electrode is not limited to a single uniform porosity. As these electrodes scale in size, however, the total number of possible pore designs can be intractable; choosing an appropriate pore distribution manually can be a complex task.